Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
A Review OF the Condition OF Farm Ami.
mails in Texas by the Agrieul.
turaI Department.
The Average Price for Texas Farm Ami
mals-A Growing Interest Manifest
in Horse Raising.
Correspondence of the Gazette.

Correspondence of the Gazette.
| WASHINGTON. Feb. 24.-In the report
on the values and numbers of farm ami
mails, Just issued by the Agricultural De-
! partment, the statistician makes the fol-
lowing review OF the condition OF farm
animals in Texas:
While there has only been slight in
crease in number and depreciation in the
value Of horses, stock raisers OF North
Texas are introducing better blood, such
! as Norman, Percher IN and ClYdesdale.
! This improvement has been going on for
| several years, and is beginning to show
in the difference between the stock gen.
{ erally of that section end any other part
Ct Texas, although there are enterprising
men in every county who arr imbued with
the same spirit. There is more decided
Improvement in mules than in any other
class Of stock.
Ia mich cows there has also been not
only d decided Increase in number, but
marked improvement in quality by the
Introduction OF good milk stock, Jersey
and Ho;stein principally. The cowmen
Of the plains have not been behind in en-
terprise, although from the great number
v
degree as in milk stock. They are intro
ducing by the hundreds Shorthorn, Here
ford, as we'll as good showing of POlled
Angus. StOckmen are becoming aroused
TO the necessity Of providing shelter and
feed through the winter. There has been
great Improvement in this direction. No
disease of an epidemic character Is re-
ported.
The sheep interest was at a low ebb on
account of low prices of wool and NUT
ton, and every sheepmau who could get
rid of his flock did so, msny driving to
New Mexico; but better feeling in the
market has caused the owners to become
encouraged and to take care of what
they have on hand. Hog cholera pre-
vailed extensively all over the state in
the summer and fall of 1885, which cut
short the hog crop of the state and
caused the prices of stock hogs early in
1886 to be really higher than the market
justified, but the state has been fortun-
ately free from it during last year eX-
cept in very few instances, and with the ir-
PRODUCTION of good blood of Berkshire,
Jersey Red and Poland China, we are fast
getting ont of the ''raz r-back" stage.
| In some parts of Texas there is grow
| ing interest in horse raising: cross bred
colts from Mexican dams are produced in
large numbers, sellir G, when grown, at
$40 to $40, according TO quality. A bet
| ter cross, from large American mares, IS
worth $50 when full grown. The average
value Of Texas horses Of all ages is less
than half the average Of the United Stat s,
$50 80 to $72 10. The Arkansas markets
are flooded with mustangs, causing re-
ducton in prlcr. in some localities.
The average price for Texas farm ami
mails IS given as follows: Oxen under
one year Old, So so; between one and
two years, SIS 10; between TWO and three,
SIP 90; over three years old, Sl7.00.
Sheep under one year, Sl.00; over one
yesr, $50. Hogs under one year. 81 /;
over one year, 81. The number of farm
horses is given as l,o3S,Sl6, larger
number than any other state in the Union,
engaged in farm work. Tie average
price is S32 SO, making total value OF
the farm horses i'll Texas, $50, GAP ,055
The number of mules is stated at 1S6, O+G,
which, at en- average price of ISL so,
would make an aggregate value of S9,-
637, 332.